By Catherine Ntabadde

WHILE the Government is advocating the teaching in local languages, an International Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has come out to supplement its efforts.

Book Aid International (BAI) has injected £10, 000 (about sh32.8m) in Uganda to enable the country purchase reading books locally.

The project, Local Book Purchase, the first of its kind in Uganda, will be implemented by Kyambogo University and National Library.

Local Book Purchase project will be launched in July at Kabulasoke Primary Teachers’ College in Mpigi District.

BAI, based in the UK collects and distributes textbooks and novels to poor countries including Uganda. The Local Book Purchase Project has also been initiated in Botswana and Ghana.

BAI initiated the project to assist developing countries inculcate the reading culture by providing reading materials to enable young people benefit from literacy.

According to Justin Kiyimba, the Kyambogo University Librarian whose department is coordinating the project he said.

“The project encourages local publishing by using whatever little resources to purchase materials locally. Their emphasis is on materials published in local languages.”

Kiyimba said the two implementing institutions Kabulasoke because it has a number of coordinating centres.

“After thorough consultations, we decided to start the project in Kabulasoke. We wanted a college in a rural place to implement the pilot project. We also wanted a college that stocks local materials,” Kiyimba told Education Vision.

He said the £10,000 was used to buy the locally published textbooks in Luganda, Kiswahili and Runyankole-Rukiga.

“There is need to supplement the available reading materials. They realised there is lack of purchasing power. They want the local industry to grow and people to read local materials,” he added.

Kiyimba said that women groups, teachers at Kabulasoke and coordinating centres around the college will use the books.

He said the implementing centres will go to the college to see how the books are being used and whether the project has improved the performance in the schools.

Kiyimba said if the pilot project bares fruits, it will be taken to other parts of the country.